How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
He understood her well, better than I did who was her mother; in fact, I wonder whether parents ever know their children as they know one another. (22.1)
Ruku’s children are her joy and pride – indeed she wasn’t a happy woman until she had sons. The fact that Ruku begins to recognize the closeness her children share with each other signals a change in her own thinking. Her children do not really belong to her. Ruku resigns herself to the fact that they’ll do what they want, and that she’ll never be able to rely on knowing who they are. Ruku’s realization helps her deal with her children as they evolve from obedient boys and girls to independent, and sometimes rebellious, men and women (i.e. when Selvam chooses to leave the land, and Ira turns to selling her body).
Quote #8
"What can we do? There are many like ourselves who cannot provide for the future. You know it yourself."
"Yes; I know…. I do not know why I asked; it was needless. There is no provision at all," he said, speaking half to himself, "neither for old nor young nor sick. They accept it; they have no option." (23.22)
This is the first time Kenny admits that Ruku has a point. He seems a bit worn down by the desperation, suffering, and uncertainty around him. He’s finally able to admit that maybe people around him are in insurmountably difficult situations. It’s interesting that he doesn’t sound broken, just realistically resigned to reality.
Quote #9
There had been a time when we, too, had benefited—those days seemed very remote now, almost belonging to another life—but we had lost more than we had gained or could ever regain. Ira had ruined herself at the hands of the throngs that the tannery attracted. None but these would have laid hands on her, even at her bidding. My sons had left because it frowned on them; one of them had been destroyed by its ruthlessness. And there were others its touch had scathed. Janaki and her family, the hapless chakkli Kannan, Kunthi even…. (23.57)
Ruku looks at the tannery as a major force of negative change in her life. It’s notable that she has all of this angry feeling towards the tannery, but later she’ll admit that nature has as much of an effect on her wellbeing as the tannery. She seems to be more accepting of nature’s impact, whereas she really resents the tannery for its influence. We’ve got to wonder how this is justifiable in her mind, when they are both just external circumstances over which she has little control.